D-Link DGS-1016D/DGS-1024D Unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet Switch
3
Switching Technology
Another key development pushing the limits of Ethernet
technology is in the field of switching technology. A switch
bridges Ethernet packets at the MAC address level of the
Ethernet protocol transmitting among connected Ethernet or
fast Ethernet LAN segments.
Switching is a cost-effective way of increasing the total
network capacity available to users on a local area network. A
switch increases capacity and decreases network loading by
making it possible for a local area network to be divided into
different
segments
that do not compete with each other for
network transmission capacity, decreasing the load on each
segment.
The switch acts as a high-speed selective bridge between the
individual segments. Traffic that needs to go from one
segment to another (from one port to another) is automatically
forwarded by the switch, without interfering with any other
segments (ports). This allows the total network capacity to be
multiplied, while still maintaining the same network cabling
and adapter cards.
For Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet networks, a switch is an
effective way of eliminating problems of chaining hubs
beyond the “two-repeater limit.” A switch can be used to split
parts of the network into different collision domains, for
example, making it possible to expand your Fast Ethernet
network beyond the 205-meter network diameter limit for
100BASE-TX networks. Switches supporting both traditional
10Mbps Ethernet and 100Mbps Fast Ethernet are also ideal
for bridging between existing 10Mbps networks and new
100Mbps networks.